Maison Chapuis Fréres "La Bulle" Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France

FROM JEFFREY ALPERT SELECTIONS

THE WINE:

Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir (30-year-old vines)

Soil: Limestone, clay

Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, methode traditionnelle, no crushing. 6 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling, then 24 months on laths. No racking. Kieselguhr filtration, no added sulfur.

THE PRODUCER: The Chapuis brothers grew up among the vines of Aloxe-Corton in Burgundy, and decided to finally start their own winery in 2008. They initially began working out of a small cellar in Pommard before building their own a year later in the commune of Ladoix-Serrigny in the Côte de Beaune. Romain, a trained oenologist, has remained a passionate student of wine growing well after finishing his studies; he has worked at domaines throughout France (Alsace, Bordeaux, Beaujolais), as well as in Lebanon and New Zealand. After his return to Burgundy, Romain notably worked as Philippe Pacalet’s top cellar master. They currently farm approximately 4ha of land, which are spread out in various parcels among Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe Corton Premier Cru, Corton Grand Cru, and Corton Charlemagne. In addition to their holdings, Romaine and Jean-Guillaume also source fruit from like-minded growers. They are in their third year of organic conversion. All grapes are picked by hand, only native yeasts are used in the cellar, and they minimal sulfur is used only when absolutely necessary.